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What a Difference a Nine Months Makes

I’m nearly certain that this is presumptuous and myopic, and I’ll probably regret saying this. . . But if there is one sentence everyone should take away from the post, it is this:

All the evidence I need about the Reds’ chances of winning the 2013 World Series is available in two recent stretches in Cincinnati – the Reds/Giants series of October 9-11, 2012, and the first three games of the Reds/Giants series, July 1-4, 2013.

I can barely stand to look at the old box scores – and I haven’t dared to re-watch the games – from the Reds/Giants three-game series in Cincinnati in October, 2012. It is still too raw for me. But I couldn’t help engaging in a quick comparison between this week’s first three games with the Giants and the Cincinnati-based games of that October 2012 series, especially when the outcomes were dramatically different.

This Reds team is so money, and they don’t even know it. At least, not yet.

Here’s a simple compare/contrast of these two series:

*Homer’s ace performance wasn’t wasted in 2013. (See Oct 9, July 2.) In fact, it was the difference-maker in the July 2, 2013 game.
*Bruce Bochy and his voodoo tactics (e.g., aggressive hook with his starters)—see Oct 9, July 3—were irrelevant to the outcomes of his team’s games in 2013.
*Is Dr. Choo the kryptonite to Bochy’s voodoo trance? He was awesome last night and provided the game-winning RBI tonight.
*Buster Posey’s clutch magic (see Oct 11) made no difference in 2013 (see July 2, 3).
*Dusty’s confidence in his starters benefitted him in 2013 (see July 2), but cost him in 2012 (see Oct 11).
*The injury to Cueto (again) didn’t matter in 2013, but it limited the Reds’ options in 2012.
*Sergio Romo and Lincecum (Oct 9 and 10 winning pitchers, respectively) were neutered and impotent (respectively) in 2013.
*Chapman was electric tonight. My theory is that he needs marble-sized sweat beads and mid-summer, global-warming heat (a la Cuba) to aid in his effectiveness.
*The Reds out-hit and out-OPS’ed the Giants in both three-game sets – take a guess which series the Reds won.

It is only a few games, but this is good evidence.

At this point, the primary obstacle standing in the way of the Reds' postseason greatness is "Big Brother." You all know which team I'm referring to.

Re: What a Difference a Nine Months Makes

I get the feeling this team will struggle more during the rest of this regular season and won't approach 97 wins, but that the Reds would be a much bigger threat in the playoffs this time around with experience and assuming Cueto, Broxton, Marshall and Ludwick come back healthy. Hoping to avoid the 50/50 wildcard game, but that's life in a tough division.

Re: What a Difference a Nine Months Makes

The Reds should have won Game 3, damnit. Probably not going to be over it until they make a World Series, and maybe not even then.

"Since I've been with the Reds in 1989, we've never had a farm system this loaded," Bowden said. "If we were the New York Yankees and had unlimited dollars, we could have traded for Colon, (Jeff) Weaver, Rolen, (Cliff) Floyd, (Kenny) Rogers and Finley and gotten them all -- and still held onto our top five prospects. That's an amazing statement."

Re: What a Difference a Nine Months Makes

I was at Game 3 and it was so cool to watch Homer dominate the way he did. And then comes an error behind Broxton who gives up the go-ahead run and that was that.

I'll never forget how somber and sad the entire crowd was leaving the park that night. I know for me personally it felt like I'd been punched square in the chest.

I was there too. I told my girlfriend after that game "it's over. They're done. Sometimes you can just tell these things. They had to win tonight because they aren't winning tomorrow with whoever they throw, and then in game 5 San Fran will have too much momentum."

Re: What a Difference a Nine Months Makes

I guess I was the opposite of a lot of you guys. I was listening to the game on the radio, driving back to Kentucky from a work related trip to Indianapolis. It did break my heart a little that Homer did not get the W that night after pitching such a GEM of a game, but I STILL thought that we were going to pull out that series. I was optimistic, after beating them quite soundly for the 1st 2 games (and IN SF at that) and losing one that I felt as though they, in a sense, "stole" from us, that we could take one of the next 2. Of course, when I heard that Leake was going to be the SP for game 4, I admittedly was a bit pessimistic going into that game (and it sure didn't take long for my pessimism to show signs of reality either). BUT, knowing that Latos was going to pitch game 5 and knowing how fiercely Latos HATES the Giants, I felt REALLY GOOD about that game and our chances. I felt as though Latos and the team behind him would come out with all guns 'a blazing and pull off a gem of a game.

Yes, sadly (oh so VERY sadly ) Buster Posey snatched all hope from my optimism. I had just taken off of work early so I could get home and catch as much of the game as I could. Maybe I should have just stayed at work, as, just as soon as I walked in and turned the TV on, Posey knocked that grand slam. Maybe had I simply stayed at work and kept my fingers crossed, it never happens ). All I know is that it was such a heartbreaking moment...basically RUNNING into my house and turning the TV on...and then...BOOOOOM.

I have yet to stop contemplating what would have happened had (a). Cueto not gotten injured (though regardless, I personally STILL (and always will believe) that we should have won that series in 3. And (b). how far would we have advanced HAD we won that series. Would we have survived the Cardinals in the NLCS? I think (had we survived the Giants...THEN survived the Cards), the Tigers would have certainly been more than doable to bring the Commissioner's Tropy back where it belongs.

Yeah, I guess my heart is still a bit broken. Might take me a while to get over that one. Hurt SO BAD because I just KNEW that we were gonna win that series against the Giants after pounding them at home for the first 2 games. And once again, if my memory is serving me correctly, I think that was the 1st time a team had come back in the NLDS, in a 5 games series, from a deficit of 0-2. Of course, much like getting embarrassed in the 1st playoff game in 2010, suffering a no-hitter at the hands of Halladay, only the 2nd in the history of the game (and then embarrassing ourselves via committing several blunders in the second game of that series , one which we absolutely SHOULD have won), it pains me that the Reds were, once again, on the wrong side of a "historical event" - both ultimately with aforementioned heartbreaking ramifications for myself (and many others I am certain).

No, I did not really go into that series with the Phillies in 2010 feeling as though the odds favored the Reds. But as I have mentioned, I do at least try to be an optimist and I DID have at least a modicum of faith that we could pull off the upset. So yes, even though it did not hurt me nearly as much as last years Giants series, it STILL hurt.

Always TRYING to be the eternal optimist, I'm simply hoping that THIS year, they not only MAKE the darn playoffs, but proceed beyond the first round. THAT would certainly help ease some of the pain. Make it to the world series, and I think a lot of the pieces of my heart that were broken will have found the proper glue for at least some semi-solid repair. Bring home the Commissioner's Trophy and a nice smattering of those beautiful rings, I promise, I'll quickly learn to put '10 and '12 out of my mind

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